Apparatus for the manufacture of carbon dioxid.



P ATENTED DEG. 3,1907.

J.O.STEAD. APPARATUS, FOR THE MANUFACTURE OE'GARBON DIOXID.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 23, 1905.

, eaal 'JoHN CHRISTOPHER STEAD, on LoNnoN, ENGLAND.

FFICE.

APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CARBON DIOXID.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed August 23. 1905. Serial No. 275.335.

Patented Dec. 3, 1907.

To all whom it may concern;

'Be it known that I, JOHN CHRISTOPHER 'STEAD, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at 42 Grove Green road, Leytonstone, London, England, havefrom the lye by heating the latter.

.The objects of myinvention are to cause the lye to travel intermittently in a direction opposite to the flow of the gases without employment of a pump; to enable a separate boiling-off vessel to; be readily filled and emptied when required; and to so simplify the apparatus that the attention required in working it is reduced to a minimum.

In carrying my invention into practice, I employ a series of closed bicarbonating vessels the majority of-which may for convenience be all at one'levelv and which vessels are connected by pipes leading from the top of the first tothe bottom of the second, from v the action of gravityi The the top of the second to the bottom of the third and so on through the series, byhwhich pipes the furnace or similar CO containin mixture of the. gases after bein passe through the lyein the first .bicar onating vessel will be caused to circulate or pass through the whole series of bicarbonating vessels, the last' of these vessels beingpm vided with a. ipe through whichthega'ses,

deprived by t e lye ofthe bulk of their Q09: .rnay esca e. I, further, em loy, a se arate boiling-o vesselplac'edat a ower'leve than the bicarbonating vessels, with which boiling-off vessel the first bicarbonatin vesseli's connected by a ipe leading from elow the level of thelye in the lattervessel to about the bottom of the former and through which pipe the lye when-it has-taken up. or ab-' sorbed a sufficient quantity of CO, may be allowed to flow into the boilinggofivessel-by icarbonating vessels are also provided with inverted U- shaped pipes having branches or legs of unequal length, leading preferably from the lower-part of -the second into the upper part of the first, and similarly from the third to the second and so on throu h the whole series, whereby, when the boi in -off vessel is being filled, the lye in the bicar onating vessels is automatically fed forwards, the last vessel also having a pipe leading from its upper part to about the bottom of the boiling-off vessel, the arrangement being such that when the boiling-off vessel is being charged with lye from the first bicarbonating vessel the uantity drawn ofi from the'latter will be rep aced through the bent connecting' pipeby an equal quantityv from the second, and so on through the series, the 'level of the lye in the last vessel before boiling-ofi' vessel is charged being higher than that in the other vessels. After the boilingoff vessel has been charged, communication with the bicarbonating vesselfrom. which it is charged is shut oif and its contents heated to cause the CO, to be given off, this gas being conducted by a pipe to a condenser and from the latter to a suitable gas holder.

Whe n the bulk of the C0,, has beenevolved,

the communication with the condenser is shut off, but the heating of the lye is continued until a sufficient pressuf e is createddue to a further-evolution of CO and also the formationof steamto force the lye through the pipe leading into the last of the series of bicarbonating vessels, thereby again raising thelevel-of the lye in the latter, which will materially assist the drawing off action from such bicarbonating vessel when the boilingoif vessel is next charged.

In the accompanying drawing, I have ill ustrated a form of my apparatus, Figure 1 being a side elevation and Fig. 2' a plan view thereof. v

, In the drawing, I show four bicarbonating vessels, A, 13,0 and D, but it will be under- "stood that I do not confine myself to such a number, as that would depend'upon the particular circumstances and conditions .involved in each case. Each of these vessels is provided with a finely perforated false bottom (1,, below which the gas is introduced;

TlliVGSSGlS' having been filled to within a short distance togthe top with a suitable lye, the furnace or other suitable CO -contain- 'ing mixture of gases is introducedthrougha pipe 0, by opening its-valve'm to below. the perforated bottom in the vessel A., 'These gases, previous to their introduction into the vessel A, areiwashed, purified and cooled the space above the latter, a portion of their CO being absorbed by the lye duringtheir passage therethrough. From the top of the vessel A the gases are conducted by a pipe b to below the perforated false bottom in the vessel B, and after passing up through the lye' and having had a further portionof their 00,

absorbed they are conducted by a pipe Zz fromthe top of B to below the false bottom in C, and from this'latter similarly to the vessel D by a pipe I). By the time the gases have passed through the lye in the last vessel D, the bulk of their CO will have been absorbed, and the remaining and, for the purposeof my invention, useless gas or mixture of gases "is allowed to escape by a pipe (1, which is of sufficient length to cause any vapor carried oii by the gas to be condensed and to run back into the vessel D, or said pipe may be provided with a condenser.

Communicating respectively with the vessels BA, CB, and DC, are inverted U-shaped connecting pipes e, e and e having legs or branches of unequal length and arranged as shown or in any other manner found most suitable, and the vessel A is in communication with a separate boiling-off vessel E (which is placed at a lower level) by a siphon pipe f having a stop valve or cook f, said .pipe leading from below the level of the lye in the vessel A to about the bottom of the boiling-off vessel, the arrangement being such that when the valve f. is opened lye from the vessel A will flow into theboiling-ofi vessel E and the quantity of lye thus drawn off from A will be replaced by an equal quantity flowing from B into A through the pipe 6, and similarly lye will flow from the vessels 0 and D into B and C respectively through the pipes e and e the level of the lye in* the vessel D prior to the charging of the boiling-off vessel being of course sufficiently high to assist the flow.

As the furnace or other mixture of gases containing CO are introduced at greater than atmospheric pressure into the vessel A, a pressure will exist in the vessels A, B, and C greater than in D which isopen to the atn1ospherethrough the pipe dand, to

revent the lye being forced from G into D,

provide the connecting pipe 6 with a back pressure valve Z and I provide the pipe 6 leading from the vessel G into the vessel D amass with a pressure reducing valve I) see Fig. 2 by which the pressure in the bicarbonators -A, B and C can .be regulated. Each of the' vessels A, B and C is provided at its top with a a sniftin valve 0 for the purpose hereinafter describe and if desired the .'connectingpipes e, e may have a back-pressure valve similar to the pipe 2 The boiling-off vessel is provided with a steanr jacket or a steam coil or other means toenable'its contents to be readily heated, and herein I have shown the boiling-off vessel as provided with a steam jacket, as Ea," having connections e to include the jacket.

in a steam supply system of any'suitable character, not shown, as it forms no part of my invention, and from the top of said vessel a pipe or gas main it having a three-.

way cockht enables said vessel to be put in communication with a condenser F and a gasholder (not shown), and a pipe 1' leading from the bottom of the boiling-0H vessel to they top of the vessel D enables the.lye in the former vessel to be transferred tothe' latter as will be hereinafter described.

My improved apparatus operates as fol-" lows :-The vessels A, 13,0, D having been filled to the required extent witlr lye', the

' valve m is opened and the furnace or other mixture of gases containing CO is' allowed to flow from one to the other through the whole series of bicarbon ating vessels. .When the lye in the vessel A has taken upa sufiicient quantity of C0,, the valve m is shut and the valve f opened so that bicarbonated' lye.

from the vessel A will flow into the boiling off vessel E, theatmosphere; within the boil-' ing-off vessel being allowed to escape through a snift n, and when the ve'ss l is sufliciently charged the valve f is agai shut. When the furnace gases are shut off, the snifting valves 0 are opened to bring the pressure within the vessels A, B and C downto atmospheric, that is to say, the same as that within the vessel D, the equalization of pressure in all the vessels permitting'the- U-shaped connections to act so that the vessels A, B andC are again filled to their normal level.

The three-way cock h is next opened to the atmosphere and steam is admitted into the jacket or equivalent of theboiling off vessel to heat the bicarbonated lye and cause it to give 03 its CO When the temperature of the bicarbonated lye has risen sufliciently, the air contained. within the boiling off vessel'escapes through the cock h, said cock is next turned so that the CO being given oii will flow through the pipe 72 to the condenser F, a suitable trap or catch-all G intercepting condensed vapors and returning these into the vessel D. From the condenser the CO is conveyed to a gas holder, any remaining condensed vapor having been trapped off after leaving the condenser. \Vhen the bulk of the C0 has been given up by the lye in the boiling-01f vessel, the cock h is shut and the heating of the lye is continued until a sufficieut gaseous pressure is created within said vessel to drive the lye up the pipe j and into 'the top of the vessel D.

turned from the boiling-off vessel, being new decarbonated, is ready when sufliciently cool to again absorb CO and the cooling may be effected in a separate vessel intermediate of the boiling-oil vessel and the vessel D, or in the vessel D itself, the cooling being assisted by the lye in the latter case coming into contactand to a considerable extent intern1in gling with the cool lyealready in said vessel, as well as by the passage therethrough of the cool 00., containing gases. Immediately after the boiling-ol vessel has been charged and the cock f shut, the gas supply cock or valvem is again opened to permit a further saturation of the lye with CO in the vessels A, B, etc., so that, after the boiling-off vessel has been emptied as described, it is ready to be again charged, the cycle of operations described being repeated.

In order to facilitate the openin and shutting of the cooks m and f and t e snifting valves n ando, I provide a lever P. which, by suitable rodsp and links go, shown diagrammatically in Fig. 1, is so connected to the cocks and valves that the mere pulling of the lever in one or other direction Wlll operate all said cocks and valves.

The biearbonating and boiling-off vessels are provided with gage glasses man-holes and, if desired, also with pressure gages and safety valves; and herein the vessel D is shown in the drawingata'higher level than the vessels A, B, and C.

When the nearly decarbonated lye in-theboiling-01f vessel is being heated (after the CO exit is closed) it may happen that the evolution of CO is not sufficiently rapid to cause the lye to be forced into the vessel Din a reasonable period of time. In such event I may, for example, supplement the quantity of CO evolved within said boiling-01f vessel by furnace ases under pressure.

What I c aim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is i 1. Apparatus for the recovery of CO from furnace or like ases by alternate bi-carbonation and decar onation of a CO, absorbing lye through which said gases are passed, comprising a plurality of bi-carbonating vessels connected in sries by' bent pipes, and by separate gas-circulating ipes, and a separate .decarbonating 'boi in -off vessel -ar-" ranged on a lower level than said bi-carbonatlng vessels and connected with the first and the last of the series of bi-carbonating vessels,

whereby the lye is returned to the last of. the

bi-carbonati vessels by fluid pressure generated in said boiling-ofi vessel.

This lye just re-' 2. Apparatus for the recovery of CO, from furnace or like gases by alternate bi-carbonation and decarbonation of a ()0 absorbing lye through which said ases are passed, and in which the .lye is circulated in one direction by the head of liquid and returned by fluid pressure, consisting in the combination of a plurality of bi-carbonating vessels connected in series by pipes through which the lye flows from vessel to vessel, separate gas-circulating pipes connecting the vessels and through which pipes the gas is made to ass from vessel to vessel in the reverse irection from that in which the lye flows, a boiling-off vessel placed below said bi-carbonating vessels,

pipes f and 7' connecting the boiling-off vessel vessel and thereafter to 'return the lye through pie 9' to the connected bi-carbonating vesse such return of the lye to the connected bi-carbonating vessel being effected by the fluid pressure generated in the boiling olf vessel.

3. In ap aratus for recovery of CO from furnace or ike gases by alternate bicarbonation and decarbonation of a CO, absorbing lye, through which said gases are passed, the

combination of a plurality of bicarbonating vessels connected ln-series by gas-circulating pi s leading from the upper end of one vesse to the lower end of the next one, separate inverted U-shaped lye-conducting pipes leading from near the lower end of one vessel to near the up er .end of the-next," a boiling-oi? vessel at a ower level than said bi-carbonati' vessels, a siphon connection between the st one of the latter and the boiling-01f vessel, to charge the latter, a separate corl- I nectionbetween the boiling-off vessel and the last one of the bicarbonating vessels, whereby the decarbonated charge of lye is returned thereto by pressure generated in the boiling-off vesse boiling-off vessel. I

4. In apparatus for the recovery .of CO, from furnace or like ases byalternate bicar-' bon'ation and decari sorbin .lye through which} said gases are passe a plurality ofbicarbonating vessels connected in series by separate lye-conduct ing and gas-circulating p1pes,the head of liq uid in t below the level-of the bicarbonating vessels,

. a siphon connection between the first one of b'oil- 85 land a separate outlet for the CO driven oil from the charge inthg onation of a. C0 ab-,'

I e last vessel'bein'g greater than in the others, a deqarbonating boiling-0E vessel the last vessels and the boiling-oil vessel to name to this specification in the presence of introduce a charge of biearbcilnated lye theretwo subscribing witnesses. to, and means to discharge t e deearbonated lye from the boiling-off vessel to the last one JOHN CHRISTOPHER E D' 5 of the bicarbonating vessels by fluid pressure Witnesses:

in the .boiling-ofl vessel generated by heat. HEN RY IMRIE,

In testimony whereof I have signed my H. D. JAMEsoN, 

